Archive for December, 2010

Here’s a cool website authored by Graham Smith, a graphic designer in England. What’s cool about Graham? He takes brand logos and simplifies them down to circles in an effort to see and study how many of them are still recognizable.

Circles are cool, but Morse code would be pretty sweet. Just sayin’. (via design.org)

The Cincinnati office relocated to downtown Cincinnati this week from the Evendale building they’d occupied for the last 20 years.

The new, nearly 9,000-square-foot space is located on the fifth floor of The Edge building at 310 Culvert Street. Employees work in a mix of glass-fronted offices and “pods” and share an expansive view that overlooks the Ohio River.

The new digs started as a concrete shell and have transformed into an eco-friendly industrial showcase, under the professional guidance of Space Planner Denis L. Back and Architectural Designer William Arthur, as well as MKTGINC team leaders Paulette Moran and Tina Hudson.

Where possible, repurposed and renewable resources are incorporated into the design, including bamboo and other flooring materials, low-voltage and LED light bulbs (Light Emitting Diodes), skylights, faucets with tankless water heaters, appliances with the highest rating for energy efficiency, and desks crafted from the reclaimed front doors of historic homes.

Employees should also have a more eco-friendly commute when they call on clients. Two of the branch’s largest local clients, Chiquita and Procter & Gamble, are just a couple of blocks away.

With the Oscar race heating up – and just around the corner – these classic screen studies by some of our favorite Hollywood actors and actresses, produced by the New York Times Magazine, are small in size but large in style and presence. Check out these great small screen shorts.

For the last three years, Cincinnati MKTG employees have celebrated the holidays with our neighbors in need. This year, the 21 employees donated 10 large boxes of canned goods, household staples and personal care items to Valley Interfaith Food & Clothing Center (VIFCC) in Wyoming, Ohio, less than a mile and a half from the MKTG offices.

Administrative Coordinator Arnie Witt delivered the goods, where they were immediately placed in the pantry for distribution to waiting customers. The office’s philanthropy is particularly important to Witt, as her community came together when a fire claimed all her family’s possessions—except for the nightgowns and t-shirts they were wearing—around the holidays when she was 5 years old.

“To me, it wasn’t even a traumatic experience because of the generosity neighbors and strangers showed us. I remember that every season and try to give back.”

The Cincinnati office continues the giving tradition for Christmas, by gifting a toy and clothing item/outfit to 21 community children through VIFCC.

We all know what the arrival of the holiday season means, right? (DRAMATIC PAUSE FOR EFFECT) The end of the Cross Country season of course! And although we’re excited for the upcoming season of goodwill and cheer, we can’t help but reminisce about the past few months of fun had on the Nike East Running Mobile Tour Programs.

This Saturday will mark the 7th running of Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, Oregon, an event where the nations top high school runners compete to prove they’re the best. They’ve been preparing for this day all season long, and most of them have been doing so with the Mobile Crew by their side.

The Nike Spike Bus and Nike East Running Van have been there every step of the way… Training with the fastest runners, cheering with the masses at races, and spreading knowledge about running and Nike to all. They’ve spent time in the freezing temperatures of Vermont and Florida sunshine, with countless weeks on the road, and thousands of miles on their vehicles… Tens of thousands of laces and hundreds of Gait Analysis tests later, it all comes down to one thing… Running.

After an extremely successful inaugural tour, including an Ex Award win (Best Mobile Marketing Program- Consumer) Clinique Fresh Faces tour hit the road again with a fresh take for year two.

The 2010 tour kicked off on September 14th at Boston University and ended November 9th at USC in Los Angeles. The tour was 23 total event days – two promotional days on campus and one weekend mall visit to retail partner, Nordstrom.

Guests were treated to a makeup / skincare consultation, hair touch-up, photo shoot and entertainment including live DJ, blogging and multimedia. Need to own your new look? Clinique products were available for purchase via online shopping on-site or directly at Nordstrom for instant gratification.

Clinique Fresh Faces 2010 combined brains and beauty, offering a “Clinique Fresh Faces Internship contest.” One winner had the chance to win a paid summer internship at Clinique. Guests were also offered the opportunity to attend on-site discussions featuring professionals from the fashion and beauty industry in a panel forum. The response was overwhelming with young ladies lining up, resumes in hand, for a chance to speak with Eva Chen – Fashion and Beauty Director at Teen Vogue, CeCe Coffin- Vice President Global Communications at Clinique, Melissa Magsaysa –Style Writer and Editor for the Los Angeles Times, among others.

Why? Because being a Fresh Face isn’t only about exterior beauty. It’s about sharing your fresh perspective and ideas in the world of fashion and beauty.

The BLG Friday Feature is the QCK3 (QUICK THREE). This is where BLG engages in a verbal romp with a friendly MKTG INC employee. Rules of engagement? The introduction is the back of your business card and the corresponding photo is randomly selected from your Facebook page. Sock it to me!

Today’s Lucky Art Director: Ric

If you’re holding this card that probably means you’ve met Ric. So you must already know what we’re about to tell you: Ric is cool. He’s cool like it’s his job. But what you might not know is that being cool really is his job. Or more specifically, seeing cool is his job: He’s got the super-slick ninja Jedi eye for what looks cool. He can take a dull, dry-as-dirt marketing concept, plant it in the cool, fertile topsoil of his brain, and bam — the cool blooms. Like it’s his job.

BLG: Are you ready to submit to your 3 questions?

RC: Do I have to submit to them? Can’t I just work together with them?

BLG: I suppose. But just this once. That’s quite a business card you have there. So what is the coolest thing you have ever done?

RC: Sounds fake, but… Yoga in the rain forest steps away from the most active Volcano in the world. In Arenal, Costa Rica. Life-changing. That place is magic.

BLG: Damn you’re cool. What about here at MKTG INC?

RC: So many things. That’s like picking a favorite child. Lemme think…

BLG: While you think… if you had to actually pick a favorite child – assuming you had a gaggle of children – how would you pick them? What would the criteria be?

RC: Whichever one is the smartest. Which one teaches me most about myself. Kids are smarter than everyone.

BLG: Spoken like a true sage.

RC: And the coolest program I have ever worked on… I have to say NIKE World Basketball Festival was pretty awesome. And the Olympic innovation space was great too.

The 2011 Grammy nominations were announced yesterday and while the list includes the usual suspects (Lady Gaga, Eminem, Rihanna), it’s the dark horses that have my vote.

Hearing that Cee-Lo Green’s catchy “F— You/Forget You” won for Record & Song of the Year, Florence and the Machine (up against Justin Bieber, among others) took Best New Artist, and the talented (and understated) Sara Bareillis triumphed over the likes of Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Beyoncé for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance with “King of Anything” would be music to my ears.

E!’s BridalPlasty premiere Sunday night featured brides-to-be competing for plastic surgery. The reality show’s ultimate prize includes a laundry list of cosmetic procedures, a dream wedding…and a groom who hasn’t seen his wife in 4 months.

Bridezilla? More like Bridenstein.

It must be as painful to watch as it is to compete, as the premiere only drew in 900,000 viewers. Ouch, that hurts.